Instagram has added new features to its stories. This is the biggest ever update to Stories since its launch. The company will allow the creators to add URLs to their stories which viewer can navigate without leaving the Instagram.

It also let them add the ability for the users to be “@mentioned” in the story of someone else too. They can add the ability to add the Boomerang to the story without going to the app of Boomerang.

Links

Most importantly, Instagram will allow the creators to add navigable URL links to the stories. It means that the viewers can also tap the button and they will be directly taken to any website they want to send to them.

When you tap the button, it will open the browser within the Instagram which spontaneously navigates to the website or the page creator has identified. Creators can add the link while creating their story.

Instead of showing the URLs, Instagram adds a button for “See More” at the bottom of every story with a link added to it. This helps in keeping the image without any ugly link and letting the users navigate the links with one click only.

This helps the users to see all the links before clicking them. Instagram will block the inappropriate links just like the links on the profile. This feature is now available to verified accounts only, but all users will get this eventually. Though Instagram has not yet said anything about it.

Mentions

“Mentions” is the second feature which Instagram is adding to its Stories. It will allow the creators to use @ for “tagging” to other users of Instagram in the story. Users can tag more than 10 people in the Story, but they will need to add the username of everyone in the text-box. Mentions would be available to all the users, unlike Links.

Boomerang

Boomerang is the third feature that is going to be added by Instagram. Its stand-alone application creates the one-second video loops to its stories. Users just need to swipe to “Boomerang” from “Normal” mode and capture the Boomerang. Previously, they had to leave the Instagram Stories in order to navigate to the Boomerang’s app “stand-alone’.